Compare towns
Wareham vs Quinebaug vs Bourne vs Rochester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wareham has the oldest housing (typical home built 1958).
Quinebaug has the most people working from home (23.3%).
Bourne has the most renters (24.2% rent).
Rochester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.3%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Wareham | Quinebaug | Bourne | Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 23,302Highest |
1,193Lowest |
20,323 |
5,837 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52.1±3.1 34% above U.S. |
56.5±1Highest 45% above U.S. |
52±1.8 34% above U.S. |
46.5±6Lowest 20% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 13.1%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
0%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Rochester and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 26.2%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.1%±9.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.8%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bourne and Quinebaug are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
10.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.3%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $90,383±$11kLowest 12% above U.S. |
$105,181±$36k 30% above U.S. |
$91,058±$7k 13% above U.S. |
$120,273±$12kHighest 49% above U.S. |
| Rochester and Quinebaug are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $424,500±$21k 28% above U.S. |
$237,800±$66kLowest 29% below U.S. |
$575,600±$28k 73% above U.S. |
$599,100±$31kHighest 80% above U.S. |
| Rochester and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,504±$180Highest 6% above U.S. |
— | $1,379±$300Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,432±$743 about the U.S. average |
| Wareham and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,341 39% above U.S. |
$3,703Lowest 19% above U.S. |
$4,485 44% above U.S. |
$6,530Highest 109% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±23.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.8%±5.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.1%±10.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bourne and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
1.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
97%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 4% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.4%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.3%±17.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.9%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Quinebaug and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #272 of 282 in MA | — | #206 of 282 in MA | #104 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Wareham | — | Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester |
| High school in town | Wareham Senior High | — | Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
— | 9.8Highest |
9.1 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.